Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, and Tony Elumelu, chairman, United Bank of Africa plc, are among 25 Nigerian business leaders nominated by the Federal Government (FG) for the prestigious National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) award.
Also nominated are Leo Stan Ekeh, group chairman, Zinox Technologies, and Oba Otudeko, chairman of Honeywell Group.
Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, disclosed this in a letter he personally signed and communicated to all prospective recipients.
The letter dated November 18, 2019 noted that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit award on the shortlisted recipients in recognition of their high productivity, hard work and excellence.
The nominees will be conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit award at a high-profile ceremony scheduled for Thursday, November 28 at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Kado, Abuja.
The event is expected to be chaired by President Buhari. The National Productivity Order of Merit Award is an award of honour and dignity instituted by the Federal Government to recognise hard work and excellence among deserving Nigerians.
Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has built a business empire that has accommodated major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles, oil and gas. The company employs more than 11,000 people and is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa.
Elumelu is one of the most recognised names in Corporate Nigeria. The economist, entrepreneur and philanthropist is also chairman of Heirs Holdings, Transcorp, and founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation. He holds the national honours of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Ekeh, a serial digital entrepreneur, has remained in the forefront of the democratisation of technology in Nigeria and beyond for the past three decades. Described as Africa’s technology guru, Ekeh’s story is one of many firsts and a series of landmark achievements in his chosen field of ICT.
He holds the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and was honoured as an Icon of Hope by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001 for his sustained pioneering efforts in the area of ICT.
Otudeko, apart from being founder and chairman of the Honeywell Group, also serves as chair of FBN Holdings and founder of the Oba Otudeko Foundation.
Other Nigerians on the shortlist for include Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, vice chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Ishaq Oloyede, registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, among others.
Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson
